Several Sunlit Days
by GinervaPotter1985
Summary: The final battle is finally over. Families have been ripped apart, friendships severed, relationships broken. He's gotten this far. Now he won't stop until he has it all. Including the youngest Weasley.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: All characters and places are owned by no other than our beloved author J. K. Rowling. Only the small, lovable plot bunnies can be called my own.

Chapter 1: With a Chance of Showers

"Water." The hoarse, broken voice was so low he almost hadn't heard it.

Harry looked up from the Marauder's Map in his hands and squinted into the darkness around him. Giving one last glance at the small dot moving along the seventh floor corridor of Hogwarts, he folded it and placed it inside his jacket.

"Water, Harry. Please." The tired voice was pleading now.

Raising his lit wand further over his head, Harry tried to see through the trees and shadows. The voice was eerily familiar, but he couldn't place it. He turned and looked at the tent behind him, wondering if he should wake Hermione.

A weak cough echoed through the woods behind him and he twisted back around, trying in vain to find the source. His breath came out in short bursts and formed misty clouds in the cold and his hair stood on end on the back of his neck.

Maybe it was just Ron. Yeah, that was it, he told himself. The ruddy bugger had finally come to his senses and had come back. It was about bloody time!

"Harry. Water." The voice pleaded again. And Harry, so convinced was he that Ron had come back, stood and took off in the direction of the voice without another thought of waking Hermione.

Suddenly everything changed.

The slight breeze stopped, the crickets went quiet. The leaves and twigs that had crackled beneath his feet with every step disappeared and was replaced with old, worn, waterlogged boards.

He looked around frantically as he realized he was standing in a boat that was gliding through deadly still water.

He raised his wand even higher. How had he gotten here? Where was the forest? The tent?

"Hermione?" His voice, though not loud, echoed and repeated all round him, bouncing off of the stone walls in the distance.

Harry's heart skipped a beat and then began beating double time. He felt sick to his stomach as he realized where he was. He was in the cave. How in the bloody hell had he ended up in the cave?

His thoughts were brought up short as the boat brought him closer to the island of rock in the middle of the still lake.

There at the edge was an elderly man, his long white beard touching the water as he knelt down to cup water in his wizened hands, one of which was black as coal.

"No! Prof-" Before Harry could spit it out, ghastly gray, water worn hands grabbed the man by his arms and pulled him under the surface.

"Nooooo…!"

Harry sat straight up in his bed, anxiously looking around. His brain slowly registered his surroundings and he let out a weary groan, running his hands over his face and then through his sweat dampened hair.

Just a dream. He sucked in a deep breath as he fell back onto his pillow, trying to get his heartbeat under control.

It had seemed so real. He could still smell the sulfur from the cave; still feel the boat moving beneath his feet. Still taste the fear that had overpowered him as Dumbledore had been pulled into the lake.

Staring up at the ceiling, Harry tried to push the dream away. Despite his efforts, when he closed his eyes the images began again, almost as if they had been imprinted on the inside of his eyelids.

Finally, he gave up and, with a heavy sigh, he sat back up and fumbled for his glasses and put them on.

The moonlight fell across his bed and lengthened the shadows in the room. A particularly loud snore came from the bed on his left and he threw a jealous glare in Ron's direction. It must be nice to get a good whole night's worth of uninterrupted sleep. No worries. No nightmares. No fighting to stay awake the next day.

He rubbed at his eyes, wincing as he rubbed across a tender spot on his face. He could feel the rough stubble on his cheeks along with dried blood.

Throwing back the covers, he threw his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his wand from his nightstand. A good, long hot shower was in order. He stood and then grimaced. He didn't have any clean clothes.

After thinking for a moment, he whispered "Kreacher.", wincing as the use of his voice caused his throat to ache.

His mouth felt like a desert and his throat like it was full of glass. And he could taste the bitterest taste on his tongue.

An old, wrinkly house elf in a white tea towel and white tufts of hair sticking out of his ears appeared before him, bowing so low his nose almost touched the floor.

"Yes, Master Harry?"

Harry gave a worn out sigh. "Please don't bow, Kreacher. And just Harry is fine."

Kreacher snapped up so fast it made Harry's head spin.

"Is there any way you could find some clothes that would fit me so I can get out of these filthy ones?" He rubbed at his throat. "And maybe something for a sore throat?"

Kreacher was nodding and smiling before Harry had gotten the words out.

"And a toothbrush and razor if it wouldn't be too much trouble. And could you bring them to the bathroom?"

Kreacher nodded again. "Of course, Ma- Harry." He disappeared on the spot.

"Thanks." Harry mumbled to the empty spot where Kreacher had stood.

He took a step toward the door, biting back a curse as pain coursing through his body took him off guard. His legs and back felt like they were on fire. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and braced himself for the pain. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and walked out the door and down the hall to the bathroom without breaking his stride.

His vision swam in the flickering candlelight in the bathroom, and the only thing that kept him from spewing out a string of curses was the fact that speaking would only cause his throat to hurt on top of everything else.

He barely noticed the cold stone floor beneath his feet as he reached into the spacious shower and tapped the shower-head with his wand.

Hot water immediately began spraying, steam rising and slowly filling the room. With a grunt of pain, Harry pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it onto the floor. He managed to toe off his trainers and was just about to bend over and take his socks off when a small black duffel bag appeared on the granite floor, along with a vile of dark blue potion. Bending over, he pulled his socks off and grabbed the duffel bag and potion and placed them on the sink.

For the first time since entering the bathroom, his eyes landed on his reflection in the mirror behind the sink. His dark green eyes were sunken and bloodshot, his cheeks look hollow. He was pale and stubbly from lack of shaving, and there were half healed cuts and burns on his face, arms, and chest.

He sucked in another deep breath as the steam began to fog the mirror. He wasn't exactly a vain person, but he looked horrible, almost as if he had just pulled a stint in Azkaban. He ran a hand through his long, shaggy hair. He definitely needed a haircut.

Pulling his gaze away from his reflection he grabbed the potion again and, pulling out the stopper, he took a large swallow. Sighing in relief as the cool potion hit his throat, he drained the rest and shed his remaining clothes.

Stepping under the hot spray of water, he felt his muscles almost weep in relief as they began to relax and the tension drained out of them. He just stood there with his hands braced on the wall in front of him and the water pounding on his head, neck, and shoulders.

How long he stood there, his head bent, watching blood and grime washing down the drain, he didn't know. He seemed to be in some kind of daze. His brain was sluggish and slow, his thoughts barely registering in his conscious mind. It was only when the image of Fred's last smile flashed before his eyes that he seemed to snap out of it.

Shaking his head to clear it, he finally set about cleaning himself. He grimaced as the water swirling around his feet and down the drain turned a murky brown as he washed his hair. He made quick work of the rest and stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist.

The pain was now only a dull ache; most of it had washed away with the hot shower as it had loosened his muscles.

He had just finished shaving and had begun brushing his teeth when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning in the direction of the door, he saw a mane of red hair being pulled back into a ponytail by its owner, who was a tall, shapely girl, walking in the bathroom with her mouth stretched in a yawn and her eyes closed.

Ginny.

Harry's heart stopped for a moment before restarting at a faster rhythm and he cleared his throat nervously.

Ginny froze, her hair still in her hands, mouth open, and her eyes snapped open. The look on her face would have been comical if the situation hadn't been quite so embarrassing.

She stood there for a long moment, still frozen mid-stride, her eyes moving from the top of his head to his feet, her face slowly turning as red as her hair.

Finally, her mouth closed and her hands dropped to cover her eyes, her crimson hair falling about her face in waves, the ends stopping past her waist.

"Harry, I'm so sorry!" Her voice was pitched and she spoke in a rush as if she had a limited time to get the words out. "I couldn't sleep and I just thought a hot shower would help."

Starting to see more humor in the situation than anything else, Harry smirked. "In the boys' showers?"

Ginny's hands dropped at his question and she bit her bottom lip for a moment before answering. "I was sleeping in the first year boys' dormitory. This was closer."

Harry just lifted an eyebrow.

"I was in the boys' dormitory because the girls' dormitory was a little-" She seemed to be looking for the right word. "Crowded. No one would leave me alone. And I honestly didn't think anyone would be up this time of night. I'm sorry I walked in on you, I didn't think to check before I came in."

"It's okay." Harry said and looked down at the towel draped around his waist pointedly. "Just let me finish up and I'll get out of your hair."

A blush spread across Ginny's cheeks once again and then crept down her neck as her eyes traveled over him again.

Harry went back to brushing his teeth. Ginny never moved. He glanced back over his shoulder.

"Ginny?"

Ginny seemed to come out of a trance.

"Hmm?" Her eyes widened as it dawned on her. "Oh." She promptly turned her back.

He stood there for the longest time, just staring at her back in disbelief.

As if sensing his thoughts, Ginny gave a small laugh. "I promise not to peek if that's what you're worried about."

Stunned speechless, Harry didn't move.

"If you leave your shirt off, I'll see what I can do." Ginny commented, looking at opposite wall.

His toothbrush clattered in the sink and the sound echoed in the quiet bathroom.

"What?"

Ginny's shoulders shook with silent laughter. "About the cuts and burns all over you." She glanced back at him, her eyes lit with merriment, a small smile on her face. "What did you think I was talking about?"

This time it was Harry's cheeks that flushed and he snatched up his toothbrush and held it under the faucet to rinse it off.

"I thought you said you weren't going to peek."

Ginny smirked. "It's not considered peeking until you lose the towel." She turned her face around to the opposite wall again and then added, "And then only if I get caught."

Checking to make sure she wasn't looking, Harry hurriedly traded his towel for boxers and a pair of faded jeans.

Ginny turned back around just as he pulled them over his hips. He cocked an eyebrow and smiled as he zipped and buttoned his jeans.

"Only if you get caught?"

She nodded as she walked closer, stopping at arms' reach. "Only if I get caught."

He shook his head in amazement at how easily they seemed to fall back into playful banter after not seeing each other for almost a year.

"What kind of logic is that?"

Ginny grinned and shrugged her shoulders dramatically. "Weasley logic."

Laughter seemed to bubble up from his chest and he couldn't seem to stop it even though the movement caused pain to shoot through his ribs. After a long, painful, yet bliss filled moment, Harry grimaced and rubbed his hand across his ribs.

Ginny's grin faded as her focus shifted back to the wounds on his chest.

"You ought to be in the hospital wing." She looked up at him and bit her lip. "Come on, let's go sit down somewhere so I can get a look at you."

Her tone was still teasing and it made Harry want to laugh again. Her big brown eyes lit up like that made him ache in a whole new way. Merlin, how he had missed those eyes. That voice. Her. He reached up and tugged on a stray lock of hair that had fallen into her eyes.

"Ginny Weasley playing nursemaid?" He teased, making her smile slide back into place.

"Every boy's fantasy." She replied cheekily, her fingers coming to rest on his ribcage.

His heart missed a beat and he pushed the strand of crimson silk behind her ear. For a moment, he stared into her eyes and she stared back up at him, her eyes wide, her lips slightly parted, his fingers still lingering on her jaw. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and his eyes followed the movement, catching on her mouth.

"I thought you were going to take a shower." He commented lowly, dropping his hand and taking a step back.

Was that disappointment flashing in her eyes? If it was he didn't have time to ponder it because it was quickly replaced with a look that he was used to seeing on Ginny's beautiful face. Determination. And seeing it now sent his heart to tripping all over itself once again.

Ginny took a stop forward and then another, closing the distance between them. Her hand shifted from his ribs and she slid her palm to the middle of his chest. Her eyes dropped to her hand and he knew she could feel his heart racing beneath it, could feel what she did to him with just a simple touch.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Harry wrapped his fingers around her wrist and tugged, pulling her up against his chest, hoping the little gasp she gave was one of surprise and not disapproval.

Ginny lost her balance and he caught her up against him, pulling her impossibly closer, their bodies touching from chests to thighs.

She slowly tilted her head back, craning her neck to look up at him.

The look in her eyes was all he needed to forget any doubts he had. The usual chocolate colored irises were now rimmed in a warm golden brown. He had discovered during his sixth year that he could make them turn completely golden brown. And he was itching to do so now.

His heart began dancing in anticipation and he could hear its rhythm loud and clear in his ears as he searched her eyes for any sign that she wanted him to stop. He lowered his head slowly and her eyes fluttered closed, her hands sliding up his chest and coming to rest on the back of his neck, pulling his mouth closer to hers.

Ginny's breath caught as his lips barely brushed over hers and she parted her lips as he angled his head.

A loud gasp had them jumping apart as if they had been scalded. Ginny twirled toward the door, her hand going to her heart as she saw it was just Hermione.

"What in the bloody hell is going on with girls just walking into the blokes' showers?!" Harry muttered under his breath just loud enough for her to hear.

She was torn between laughing at Harry's obvious annoyance at being interrupted and shout at Hermione to leave so Harry could finish what he had started.

"Merlin's sake! You guys scared me!" Hermione exclaimed. "I wasn't expecting anyone else to be up this time of night."

"So you just decided to use the blokes' showers instead of ours?" Ginny asked, trying not to laugh as she felt Harry's gaze on her. She knew is she turned around his eyes would tell her that she had done the exact same thing as Hermione.

Hermione reddened and shifted from foot to foot. "You see…"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I know, you were in the bed with Ron. I'm not all that surprised you couldn't sleep, what with all the snoring."

Harry finally added to the conversation. "You were? I didn't see you."

Hermione turned even redder. Ginny heard rustling behind her and knew that Harry was pulling his shirt on over his head. Hermione's eyes focused on Harry.

"You ought to go to the hospital wing and have yourself looked at, Harry."

Ginny turned to see Harry banish his dirty clothes with his wand and then zip up the duffel bag on the sink.

Harry glanced down at his watch. "I'm sure Madam Pomfrey is asleep. And even if she isn't," He continued, interrupting Hermione as she began to protest. "I'm sure she is busy enough with everyone else."

He turned his smoldering gaze on Ginny as he picked up his duffel.

"I'll let you take your shower. Just don't forget to lock the door." His tone was light and teasing, but his eyes made her forget how to breathe. He brushed past her and Hermione and into the hall.

Ginny stayed frozen in place, which was probably a good thing, because she had the oddest feeling that if she moved her knees would have collapsed on her.

His eyes. She had never seen his eyes so bright before. He had always been careful not to let his emotions get the better of him while they had dated, and for good reason. She had always understood that. But to see such blatant want in his eyes had thrown her off balance.

And she hadn't just seen want in his emerald green depths; she had also seen promise. Promise that he planned to finish what he had started between them. And soon.

"Ginny!"

Ginny jumped at Hermione's impatient voice; apparently she had been trying to get her attention.

"Hmm?"

Hermione just looked amused. "Are you going to go after him or stand there and daydream for the rest of the night?"

Ginny's heart fluttered as she looked to the door and back at Hermione. "You think I should-"

"Are you kidding?" Hermione gave her a meaningful look. "If Ron looked at me like that, I would follow him anywhere. Where is the courageous, fearless Ginny we all know and love?"

Ginny gulped down a breath of air. "Still trying to breathe."

Laughing, Hermione steered her toward the door. "You can breathe later."

Ginny's eyebrows furrowed and she looked over at her friend. "Not that I'm complaining, but you seem to be in a bit of a hurry for me to run off for a good snog."

Hermione shrugged, a small smile on her face. "He needs to be happy. And it's heartbreaking to watch him stare at your dot all night until he falls asleep."

"My dot?"

Hermione's smile turned into a grin. "On the Marauders' Map."

Ginny's eyes widened. "He watched me while I was here?"

Hermione nodded. "Every night."

"Every night?"

"Every night." Her grin disappeared. "I thought he was going to do something stupid when he couldn't find your name anymore. I was sure he was only biding his time to find a good enough excuse to come find you." Hermione shifted nervously. "And Ginny?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell him I told you."

Ginny shook her head. "Of course not." She turned toward the door only to turn back. "Thanks, Hermione."

Hermione smiled again. "No problem. The least I could do after interrupting."

Ginny flushed again and walked out of the bathroom and set off down the corridor to search for Harry.

She hadn't considered the fact that he might be sitting around waiting on her. Or lying around. Or, at least, had been before he had fallen asleep.

She had searched his dormitory and the common room, even asking the few students milling about if they had seen him. Which had been pointless really, because if he hadn't wanted to be seen, and knowing Harry he didn't, all he would have to have done was slip on his Invisibility Cloak.

Ginny had given up and was just going to retire back to the bed in the first year boys' dormitory to try once again to go to sleep. And that was where she had found him, in her bed nonetheless, sound asleep.

Author's Note: Please review and let me know what you think! And many thanks to Fairqueen2 for being such a great and understanding beta!!!


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: The wonderful characters and places in this story belong to the one and only J.K. Rowling. I do not profess to have a brilliant mind like hers. Only the storyline belongs to me.

***

Chapter 2: Reality Can Wait

Ginny carefully laid out the potions, salves, and bandages on the nightstand beside the bed. So far she had managed not to wake him. She had left Harry alone and had let him sleep at first. That is, until she had noticed that there was a large circle on his shirt that was slightly darker than the dark grey fabric. Placing her fingers on it, she had been able to tell just what it was. Fresh blood. So she had banished his shirt, hoping to let him sleep while she set about caring for him.

A few whispered spells later, she discovered that not everything would heal by magic. At least, not with any of the spells that she knew. Most of the cuts across his chest, arms, and face were gone now, as well as most of the burns. Only one particularly ugly gash remained right above his heart. She hadn't been able to heal anything on his back, as he was lying on it.

So, instead, she had made a quick dash down to the hospital wing and had raided Madam Pomfrey's medicine cupboard.

She glanced back at Harry to make sure she hadn't awoken him. Seeing he hadn't moved, she opened the container of salve and dipped her finger in.

Ginny gently smoothed the ointment over the long gash, holding her breath when Harry shifted. His head turned toward her and his eyes opened. Just as she was about to apologize for waking him, his eyes slowly drifted closed again.

She stayed still for a few moments to make sure he was really still asleep before she allowed herself to breathe again. Taking the rolled up bandage, she cut off a piece with her wand long enough to cover the wound. She placed the bandage over it and taped it down with the tape she had found in the hospital wing.

Ginny turned toward the nightstand and put the top back on the salve and rolled up the bandage. Hearing movement behind her, she turned to see Harry sitting up in the bed, looking down and touching the freshly applied bandage.

"Sorry I woke you."

Harry looked up with a small smile and shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He gestured at the bandage. "You didn't have to do this, you know."

Ginny handed him his glasses.

"Thank you."

She nodded. "I know, but I did. Now lie back down and turn over."

Harry arched an eyebrow as he slipped on his glasses and gave her a questioning look, causing Ginny to smile.

"So I can tend to your back, Harry."

Harry turned over to lie on his stomach, resting his head on his folded arms. "May I ask where my shirt has disappeared to?"

Ginny smiled again. "I banished it."

"Banished it?"

She tried to suppress a laugh at the look on his face. "I didn't want to wake you."

"Do I get it back by any chance?" he asked, barely containing a laugh at the blush staining Ginny's cheeks and spreading down her neck.

"It's back in your bag." Ginny mumbled as she turned and picked up the potion from the nightstand and pulled out the stopper.

She turned back to Harry and was once again struck at the number of cuts, burns, scratches, and bruises that marred his pale skin. He looked like he had just went a long, grueling round of Quidditch… as the bludger.

What had been done to him? How had he gotten so hurt?

"Ginny? Are you okay?"

Harry's voice pulled her out of her daze and she shook her head to clear it and stepped closer.

"Sorry." She positioned the bottle over his back and began dripping the potion on his burns.

She ignored his pondering look as she kept dripping the potion. Instead, she allowed her mind to wonder about his wounds once again.

Had Voldemort inflicted them? Death Eaters? Or had he already been so wounded when he had come to Hogwarts? Had what the trio had done really been that dangerous?

Of course it had been Ginny berated herself. Hadn't that been the entire reason Harry had broken up with her; the reason she had been left behind? Harry and his stupid, noble reasons?

His back looked a little better without the angry red burns marking his skin and Ginny put the potion away and picked up her wand to begin the tedious job of healing the scratches and cuts.

The more his back healed, the more gorgeous it became. Ginny shook her head at herself again. Gorgeous? Harry's back? Merlin, she had to get rid of those thoughts if she wanted to concentrate on what she was doing.

And noticing just how much Harry had filled out over the past year, despite his hardships, wasn't helping.

The silence deepened as she tried to focus on the task at hand. But the more she concentrated on Harry's wounds, the more she wondered how he had gotten them. And that, in turn, would make her think of everything they had lost.

"Harry?"

Harry propped up on an arm slightly and looked back at her. "Yeah?"

Ginny sat her wand aside and ran her fingers over a faded burn.

"Where did all of these burns come from?"

Silence fell once again as Harry stared down at the mattress.

Ginny sighed. "It's okay." Her voice startled Harry out of his thoughts and he jumped in surprise. "You don't have to tell me."

She turned and began rolling up the bandage once again. It stumped her that his silence still hurt so much after everything she had been through lately. But, nevertheless, it still stung.

Harry's head snapped up at her words, his green eyes blazing, and a determined look on his face.

"Gringotts. One of the security measures on the vaults is that everything turns scorching hot when the vault is broken into and everything you touch duplicates so that you have no idea which one is the real one." Harry sat up and slid his legs off of the bed. "Unfortunately, the fake ones are just as hot as the real ones."

Ginny turned back around, another blush staining her cheeks. "Sorry, I assumed… I'm just so used to people not including me that when you got really quiet I just thought-"

Harry shook his head, interrupting her. "I know. And I'm sorry that I was one of the people trying to keep things from you." He looked down at his feet. "I just thought that if I could keep everything from you then you would be safer. I needed you to be safe. For me."

He looked up at her with a smirk. "You may have thought I was just like everyone else and keeping everything from you for your own good and because you were younger. And I did use that to my advantage. But I was being completely selfish." He shook his head again. "Not that it makes what I did any less wrong. But I wanted you safe. I pushed you away because I couldn't bare it if something happened to you. I couldn't do what I had to do if Voldemort used you to get to me."

Ginny bit her lip before meeting his eyes. "You would have done what needed to be done."

Harry's heart thudded so loud he could hear it in his ears. He couldn't believe he was about to tell her this.

"Maybe, I don't know. I just know that you were the last thing I thought about."

Ginny's brow furrowed. "The last thing you thought about before what?"

Harry pulled his feet up and sat cross legged on the bed before answering. "I don't know how to explain it exactly." He glanced down at his hands before looking back at her. "When I first- when I went into the forest to-"

"Give yourself up." Ginny replied bitingly when he paused.

Harry smirked. "You sound like you don't approve."

"I don't." She sat on the bed across from him and folded her arms across her chest. "Before what?" She asked, steering the conversation back in its original direction.

"Right." Harry ran a hand through his mess, black hair. "When I went into the forest to give myself up," He continued. "Right before Voldemort cursed me; the last thing I thought about was you. That was when I realized-"

"Wait," Ginny's eyes were wide. "Voldemort cursed you?"

"Well, yeah. How else do you think he would have thought I was dead?"

"Honestly, I haven't really let myself think that far into it." Her jaw tightened and her eyes flashed as she realized something. "If he thought you were dead, then he had to have used the-" She broke off, not willing to say it out loud.

"The killing curse." He finished for her. "Yeah."

"How did you survive that again?"

"I don't know exactly." Harry tried to explain, but not sure how. "Dumbledore said something about me having a choice because I had sacrificed myself and because my blood ran through Voldemort's veins."

Ginny became even more confused and she shook her head. "Dumbledore?"

He nodded. "I saw Dumbledore after Voldemort cursed me. It may have been all in my head, to be honest. But I don't think so. I think I was in some kind of strange limbo."

Ginny's face became one of disbelief. "You mean you actually died?!" She stood and walked to the window, looking out into the moonlit grounds without really seeing any of it.

"Ginny?" Harry asked cautiously.

Ginny held up a hand without looking back. She didn't trust herself to speak just yet.

Harry had really died? She felt sick to her stomach. Her mind didn't want to process it. He had died! Her heart gave a painful squeeze and she felt faint.

She realized she had quit breathing and inhaled deeply, filling her deprived lungs. Faces flashed before her eyes. Moody. Sirius. Dumbledore. Lupin. Tonks. Colin. Fred.

Harry.

Her brain felt fuzzy. _Is this what a panic attack felt like?_ She struggled to breathe once again.

Harry stared at Ginny's profile for a long moment. She remained quiet; the only sounds coming from her were the occasional deep breaths.

She was still. All that moved was her red hair, streaked with silver from the moonlight and gold from the candlelight in the room, as a cool breeze blew through the window.

It was the stillness that worried him. Ginny had always been a constant bundle of energy for as long as he could remember. She was never still. Until now.

He unfolded his legs from underneath him and put his feet on the floor. Standing, he slowly made his way to where she stood at the window.

His hand rested on her back. "Ginny?"

He felt her stiffen underneath his hand, but was still totally unprepared for the look she threw him as she jerked away and spun around. He could almost feel a hole burning in his skin under her baleful glare. He took a step back, but not before her hand came in contact with his chest. Hard.

Stunned, Harry looked down at where she had slapped him and then back up at her.

"Who in the bloody hell gave you permission to die?!"

Her eyes were narrowed, her jaw tight, and her mouth was set in an angry frown. An angry flush stained her cheeks and contrasted with her pale skin.

Ginny stared him down, glaring as if she dared him to answer.

Harry didn't speak. Some part of his brain told him it was best if he stayed quiet.

Then, her anger left just as suddenly as it had came, and she reached out and touched the white bandage on his chest with her fingers.

"I suppose this is where it hit then?"

Harry nodded, watching her wearily as she stepped closer.

"No wonder it wouldn't heal." Her eyes flashed as she looked up at him. "The next time you go off to die and you don't stop to tell me first, Merlin help you!"

She stepped back and walked around him, sitting back down on the bed.

"I thought the killing curse didn't leave a mark."

Harry took a deep breath and turned to face her. Keeping up with her mood was wearing him out. He couldn't seem to shake this bone deep weariness.

"It usually doesn't, but since when has my life gone by the book?"

Ginny sighed, her eyes now dispirited and sad. "Good point."

The silence seemed to compress on his ears and he finally began to say what had been eating at him all the day before.

"Ginny, I'm really sorry about-"

Her eyes met his again and she held up a hand, cutting him off. "Don't."

Harry looked down at his feet, unable to stomach the pain in her eyes. Especially since he had been the one to cause it.

"He would still be here if it wasn't for me, Ginny. You know that as well as I do." He added softly.

"No, I don't know that." She replied scathingly. "And unless you're going to take credit for all of the good things that have happened in my family, then stop taking credit for all of the bad things that have happened."

Ginny stood and stepped closer, looking up at him. "Sorry I'm so…" She tilted her head, trying to think of an appropriate word. "touchy."

Harry smirked. "Just touchy?"

"Don't push it, Potter."

Harry took a step back and she frowned as he looked around the room.

"What is it?"

"I'm looking for my shirt."

Ginny sighed and walked around to the other side of the bed and picked up his bag from the floor, setting it on the bed. She unzipped the bag and pulled out a dark grey t-shirt. Turning it around, she displayed the stain that was slightly darker that the rest of the shirt.

"I tried to get it out as best as I could. Unfortunately, I'm not all that great with cleaning charms."

"It's fine." Harry took the shirt from her hands and pulled it over his head. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Harry glanced at his watch and cursed softly.

"What?"

"It's only three." He complained.

"What about it?"

"I'm starving."

Ginny laughed, breaking the somber mood they had fallen into. "And here I thought I was the only one."

She tossed the bag back down on the floor by the bed and turned to the door.

"Where are you going?"

Ginny glanced over her shoulder as she pulled open the door. "To nick some food." She said, her eyes twinkling. "Are you coming or are you going to wait for breakfast?"

Harry fell into step beside her as she walked out into the corridor and started down the steps.

They walked in silence as they came into the common room. He was surprised to see a few people still milling about and they paused in their conversations to look up at them as they passed.

As they finally reached the portrait hole, Harry turned to face her as the portrait swung open.

"Do I look that bloody awful? Why are they looking at me like that?"

Ginny bit her lip as she stepped through the portrait hole. "No, it's not that." She looked up at him worriedly. "It's just- I mean, I'm sure it's-"

Harry's brow furrowed as they began the long walk down the staircase. "It's just what? Spit it out."

She gave a heavy sigh. "Well, I'm sure they may be a little weary of you after watching you duel Voldemort." She nodded to a tall Ravenclaw boy as he passed them.

Harry scowled in frustration as the boy did a double take and sped up, obviously eager to be as far away as possible.

"Weary? Scared, you mean." Harry quickened his own steps and Ginny had to scramble to catch up with his long stride.

"You don't understand. Watching you, it was- you were very… intimidating."

"So now everyone is scared of me?" Harry asked incredulously. "What was I supposed to do? Stand there and let him kill me? Kill everyone else?"

Ginny shook her head. "I'm not saying that no one appreciates what you did. It's just-"

He threw a glare in her direction as he grabbed hold of the banister to regain his balance as the staircase began to move.

"I don't want to be appreciated. I did what anyone else would have done if they had been in my place."

"Actually, you didn't, but that's beside the point." She began walking again as the staircase settled. "And I didn't say you _wanted_ anything. So don't bite my head off for answering your bloody question."

She tossed her hair angrily over her shoulder as he caught up with her.

"I'm sorry." He said simply, quietly.

Her anger drained again. Even the famous Weasley temper melted at his apologetic, hypnotic, green eyes.

Ginny nodded and turned down the corridor toward the kitchens. She gave him a sly smile as she reached the painting of the bowl of fruit.

"Let's just get some food in you before you hit the wrong buttons and cause me to bat bogey you."

Harry laughed in spite of his mood and reached out to tickle the pear. "You don't scare me, Weasley."

Ginny scoffed. "I don't want you scared, Potter." She replied cheekily. "I don't want to have to chase you."

Chuckling, Harry pulled open the painting. Realizing what entering the kitchen meant, he stiffened suddenly, not wanting to go any further.

Ginny paused over the threshold and looked back at him. "Aren't you coming?"

Taking a deep breath, Harry nodded. He couldn't avoid house elves for the rest of his life, no matter how much it pained him to be reminded of Dobby. Bracing himself, he followed Ginny into the kitchen. Only to find it empty.

He looked around in confusion. Where were all of the house elves? The last time he was in this kitchen there had been so many house elves that he couldn't count them all.

"They must be helping with the cleaning up." Ginny said quietly as she, too, took in the empty kitchen.

He watched as Ginny crossed the stone floor to the still gleaming granite counters. She bit her lip as she looked around.

"I guess we'll just have to help ourselves." She murmured as she spotted the large icebox on the other side of the kitchen.

Harry looked around again as she dug through the icebox. He couldn't help feeling like Dobby was going to just appear before him like always.

He crossed to the fireplace, remembering as he did how Dobby had tended to Winky there when none of the other house elves hardly wanted to have anything to do with her. He turned his head in Ginny's direction as he realized she was speaking to him.

"Sorry?"

Ginny gave him a worried look. "I asked if there was anything in particular that you wanted."

Harry gave himself a mental shake. What kind of prat was he just to wander around the kitchen while she scrounged around for something to eat?

"No. What do you want?"

Ginny stepped aside as he came around the counter and gently pushed her out of the way so he could look in the icebox.

"I don't care. I'm a Weasley," She said with a smirk. "Food is food."

"Okay then. Let's see…"

Her eyebrows rose as he pulled things out of the icebox and placed them on the counter. Soon he was pulling open cabinets, searching through them until he found what he wanted.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked softly, as he began breaking eggs into a bowl.

"Erm… You can see if you can find us a couple of plates and goblets."

She set about searching the cabinets. Finally, she gave up and pulled out her wand and summoned them.

"You know, a really talented auror once told me that was a really good way to curse off a buttock." Harry commented as she slipped her wand into her back pocket.

Ginny glanced up to see a teasing light in his eyes as she set the plates on the counter and smiled. "I notice you haven't lost one yet."

He gave a crooked grin and she blushed as she realized that her statement made it sound like she made a habit of staring at his arse.

Which she had done quiet a bit. But she didn't want him to know that!

She focused her attention on the knife in his hands instead as he began chopping a green bell pepper with efficiency. Her eyes followed the quick movement of his hands with something akin to amazement.

"You're really good at that. And you aren't even using magic."

Harry glanced up from his take for the slightest moment, before looking back down at what he was doing.

"I should be." He said humorlessly, almost dryly. "I've cooked breakfast every morning since I could see over the top of the stove until I was eleven and then every summer since."

Dumbfounded, Ginny gaped at him for a moment before coming to her senses.

"You never told me that before."

Actually, he had never really talked about his life with his aunt and uncle at all before.

Harry shrugged as he raked diced onion and pepper into a hot pat. "It never came up before."

He stirred it with a wooden spoon and began dicing up a piece of ham.

How could he brush it off so carelessly? Did it really not bother him? How did anyone get used to being treated like a personal slave?

Not knowing what else to say after such a revealing moment, Ginny wandered over to the icebox and pulled out a flask of pumpkin juice and filled their goblets.

She was lost in her own thoughts when Harry slid a fluffy, mouth watering omelet in front of her.

Her stomach growled as the tantalizing smell drifted up from her plate and Harry chuckled as he pulled up a couple of stools for them to sit on.

Harry watched her silently as they ate. She was deep in thought, her brow furrowed and her eyes focused on faraway thoughts. If he didn't know her as well as he did, he might think that the look on her face was one of pity. But he knew that pity was the farthest thing from her mind.

Halfway through her omelet, Ginny looked up and swallowed the bite of food in her mouth.

"Where are your aunt and uncle now?" She asked softly.

Harry shrugged and took another bite before answering.

"I don't know. Moody had set up somewhere for them to go when he came to get me before my seventeenth birthday. I suppose I should ask Hagrid so I can go check on them."

Her brown eyes watched him carefully, as if trying to figure out how he could even care if they were okay.

"Do you think they understand the magnitude of what you had to do? Of what you've done?"

He sighed and pushed away his now empty plate. "They've never bothered to even try to understand. Talk of magic or anything that wasn't 'normal' was forbidden in my aunt and uncle's house."

Ginny's lips pressed together in a thin line, as if she were trying to hold in a sharp retort.

Seeming to sense he didn't want to talk about his so-called family, Ginny returned her attention to her meal.

"This is really good, by the way. Maybe we should stick you in the kitchen with mum. Maybe then she'd stop waking me up so bloody early to help with breakfast."

Harry's smile returned with her light teasing. Apparently, a year apart didn't stop her from reading him like a book. It had always amazed him how she always seemed to know what he was thinking.

Ginny took her last bite and then stood up, gathering their plates and goblets and carried them to the sink.

"So… my brother finally came to his senses, yeah?"

Waving her wand and muttering a spell under her breath, she had the dishes washing and drying themselves.

Harry gratefully welcomed the turn in conversation. "Yeah, it seems so. It took him long enough."

She plucked the plates out of midair and returned them to their rightful cabinet. He stood and took the dirty pan from the stove, setting it in the sink.

"When did he finally brave up long enough to tell her?"

Harry smiled at the memory of flying basilisk fangs and Hermione flinging herself at Ron.

"He didn't. It was actually Hermione who snogged him senseless all over some statement he made about warning the house elves about the war."

Ginny laughed and pointed her wand at the pan in the sink, causing it to leave Harry's hands, which were beginning to wash it, and start to clean itself.

"Leave it to Hermione to get hot and bothered by elf rights of all things."

Once it was dry, Harry put the pan back where it belonged. He leaned back against the counter as Ginny put away the silverware.

"That is a statement I could have lived without." Harry complained. "I don't want to think of Hermione getting got and bothered about anything."

Ginny scoffed as she turned to face him, a mischievous light in her eyes.

"You are a seventeen-year-old male, Harry." She said, as if that explained everything. "I'm sure you've thought about it plenty."

Harry felt his face heat. "Never said I didn't. Just not about Hermione."

Ginny came a step closer and Harry straightened as he recognized the determined look on her face.

"Oh? About who then?" She stopped only a step and looked up at him expectantly. "Any veela I should know about?"

Her question took him back to her room on his seventeenth birthday. Suddenly, he was tired of talking. Why should he be talking when there were far more important things to be done?

Without even knowing he had moved, he was kissing her, his lips sliding against hers. A low moan escaped her and he took advantage of her open mouth to take the kiss deeper, thrusting his tongue inside and reveling in the sweet, intoxicating taste of her.

He felt her hands slide up his chest and then behind his neck, pulling him closer. Groaning into her mouth, he turned, picking her up and placing her on the counter without breaking the kiss.

Bloody hell, he had missed this! Only, this seemed a lot more intense than it had while they were dating. His brain couldn't seem to function enough for him to think about it, as all of his blood seemed to be draining from it and traveling to a very southern direction.

His hands traveled along her sides and back before burying themselves in her silky hair. Ginny whimpered impatiently and her hands tugged at his shirt until she had pulled it free from his trousers.

Then her hands were on his skin and he could feel her fingernails lightly scraping along his ribcage.

Their need only seemed to grow more intense as they kissed. Harry's hand left her hair and slipped beneath the hem of her blouse, his fingers caressing the bare skin. His mouth traveled along her jaw and down her throat, Ginny's head falling back to give him better access.

This was amazing! No, they had to stop! It felt so good to finally touch her, to taste her! It was too much, too fast! They hadn't seen each other or spoken to each other in months!

Harry's conflicted train of thought derailed, crashed, and imploded as Ginny's legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him even closer and he gave a strangled groan as she pulled him back to her mouth.

He lost himself in her, not caring about anything but the fact that he never wanted to stop. He was too far gone to notice anything that wasn't a part of the girl in his arms. It was Ginny's startled gasp that finally broke through the fog in his brain enough to make him pull his mouth away from her collarbone long enough to notice they were no longer alone.

Harry turned and shielded Ginny from view as she re-buttoned her blouse. He didn't even remember unbuttoning it to begin with. All he remembered was suddenly feeling the contrasting feel of rough lace and smooth skin beneath his hands.

Two brown haired girls stood by the portrait hole, gaping at them like a couple of fish out of water and Harry seemed to be having trouble deciding if he was more embarrassed or angry. Was nowhere private anymore? Given, the kitchens weren't very private to start with, but suddenly the damn castle seemed entirely too crowded!

The taller of the two girls suddenly turned beet red and covered her gaping mouth with her hand. And kept staring wild eyed at Harry and Ginny.

"I'm so sorry." She mumbled against her hand.

Harry felt Ginny's hands tugging on his shirt, trying to pull it back into place. She brushed against his back as she slid off of the counter.

Before he could say anything to the shocked girls in front of him, Ginny slid her hand into his, giving an embarrassed laugh as she pulled him past them and into the corridor.

She laughed again as they began the walk back up to the common room.

"What is so funny?" Harry asked, a small smile creeping up on his own face. She seemed so happy it was contagious.

"I hope you weren't planning on keeping that secret for very long, because that was Brianna and Lexie, the biggest gossips in my year. Everyone that is anyone will know by sunrise."

Harry shook his had at her. He was still so wrapped up in thoughts of Ginny that he didn't even notice the stares from the few people they passed on the staircase.

They passed a corridor with rubble and debris strewn all along the floor and he paused, his smile sliding off his face as reality began to seep back in. His light mood evaporated.

"Don't."

He turned and looked down at the beautiful redhead beside him, her brown eyes pleading with him.

"Not yet." She whispered, tugging him along. "Morning will come soon enough. Until then, let's just pretend to be two very normal, hormonal teenagers in search of a very private broom cupboard so we can have a nice, uninterrupted snog."

Harry chuckled in spite of himself as he marveled once again at how easily she read him.

"Sounds like a plan, Miss Weasley." He teased as he pulled her to him to brush his lips over hers. "Now about that broom cupboard…"

***

Author's Note: Yes, I know! Interrupted again! So not fair! But hey, at least our favorite couple is off in search of a broom closet! *wink, wink*

To those of you who are waiting for a little less fluff, hang in there. But I must warn you, this is a romance fic. There will be plenty of fluff scattered all through the story! Also, I want to send out a tremendous thanks to my beta, Fairqueen2, who puts up with my bad spelling and can fix this word salad into something more readable. Thank you so much!

Please don't forget to leave a review! Reviews are an author's best friends! They also make me very happy! And a happy me is a me that writes more! LOL! Thank you for taking the time to read my fic!


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